In Flame
by FLG
Summary: Sequel to Blaze- Fire. Love. Both move in intricate patterns of controlled chaos, consuming everything in their path. When that happens, you either run or face it head on. Fire fighters, Callie and Arizona, are prepared to take on both.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey, everyone. I'm finally back. This is the sequel to Blaze. I gotta admit, I'm pretty stoked to be back in this little universe. This fic picks up just a few months after the last story ended. Heads up number one, I officially rated this fic as T, but it will be M. I just didn't want anyone who read the first one to miss out if they have a filter on. Heads up number two, this one will be a little darker than the first one…it just worked out that way (as did another, more unfortunate, aspect, which I will discuss later, so I don't give anything away). Well, I don't really have anything else to say at the moment, so I hope you enjoy…

Callie POV

On this particular day, my bed is missing a specific piece of perfection but in all other ways, is perfect. Perfectly cocoon-y. Perfectly delicious smelling. Perfectly-

"Calliope, your seven warnings are gone. I need you to get up now." I love her voice, but the words are highly irritating, right now.

Deciding on the path of most maturity, I lay completely still, pretending to be so deep in slumber, that I couldn't possibly hear her. Genius.

"Calliope, just how clueless do you think I am?" At this, a small smile tugs at my lips, probably, causing her to add, "Nevermind…Did I forget to mention that I'm naked?"

My eyelids threaten to betray me as they strain with desperation to reveal the teased image. But, I know her too well and stand firm, refusing to acknowledge that morning has arrived. So, keeping my eyes closed, I finally speak, "You don't sound naked."

"What do you mean, I don't sound naked?" I can practically hear her crossing her arms and smirking at me.

Blindly shrugging, I answer, "You have a naked voice, I like that voice. You don't have it now, so I know you're lying."

After a long pause, a dramatically low and alarmingly masculine voice assaults my ears, "Calliope, I'm naked, so get up."

Unbidden giggles burst from me, the strange voice completely surprising me, "Um, no."

"That's not it?" She asks lightly, her tone twinkling with mischief.

"I'm absolutely certain that I don't want to see that person naked. Try again." I snuggle deeper into the covers, hoping that if I keep the game going, she'll forget what she was originally trying to do.

I snort as another ridiculous accent bombards my ears. "Calliope, my sweet, get out of bed and witness me in all my naked glory!"

The bed trembles under the force of my laughter. Never opening my eyes, I gasp, "That sounded more like Horny Wicked Witch of the West! Thanks, but I'll pass."

Arizona lets out an adorable chuckle, "Fine, how am I supposed to sound?"

"Naked." I'm not dumb enough to take that bait.

"Oh, my, God, Calliope…" Arizona sighs.

"Yes, sometimes that's how you sound when you're naked. You're getting closer." I smirk, thrilled with the turn the morning has taken.

I am so wrapped up in giving myself mental pats on the back, that I don't even notice her move until hot breath caresses my ear lobe and a sultry whisper surrounds me, "Calliope, I'm not naked, but I promise that if you show me those sexy brown eyes and get ready for work, I'll make it worth your while."

Unable to breathe correctly or resist the control my fiancée has over me, I crack one eye open. Gorgeous blonde hair and charming dimples greet me. "Totally, worth it," I utter in appreciation. I may love to sleep, but I love to see her even more. Smiling widely, I concede, "Now, _that_, was a nice naked voice. Good morning."

Arizona rolls her eyes before placing a quick kiss on my puckered lips, "It's been morning for a while now, and if you don't get a move on, we're going to be late and the captain is going to yell."

As we power walk up to the station, I turn to Arizona, "Ok, here's the game plan. We hit traffic, that's why we're late."

Squeezing my hand linked with hers, she scoffs, "And, once again, your criminal prowess astounds me."

Before I can reply, we slip through the door of Station 17, attempting to enter unnoticed. "Robbins, Torres!" The Captain's booming voice freezes us on the spot.

Arizona turns to Webber, "Good morning, Sir."

Webber's eyebrow arches at us, "You're late."

I see my girl start to fidget and a soft blush tinge her cheeks, so I decide to help out, "Uh, Sir, we have a good reason for being late…" When the Captain shifts his focus to me, Arizona shoots me a grateful smile, so I continue, "We're late because Arizona overslept."

As Webber's eyebrows furrow, Arizona shrieks, "Calliope Iphegenia Torres!"

An indelicate snort escapes as I cower and duck from my fiancée's, only slightly playful, slaps, "It's ok! We all have our days, sweetie!" I giggle as I dart down the hall toward the stairway, Arizona hot on my heels, Webber's displeasure completely forgotten.

When we reach the top, we toss our things on our beds and Arizona whirls on me, "That was not cool, Callie."

Smirking, I invade her space and place my hands on her hips, "Aw, don't be mad…did you notice I got us out of trouble?"

Arizona pauses, cocking her head as she considers the statement, "Oh, I guess, you did. But, if you ever try to lay the blame on me again, you're gonna have to get real friendly with your hands, because nobody else is going to touch your lady parts again."

I drop my jaw at her serious tone and very serious threat, "You wouldn't…" Arizona's stare doesn't flinch, "Ok, I understand. It won't happen again."

A small grin decorates her pink lips, "Good."

As we change for our shift, I stop and turn toward Arizona, "Hey, yell my name again."

Arizona arches an eyebrow at me, "Um, Cal, I don't think now is the time…"

Laughing, I repeat, "No, downstairs you yelled my whole name when you were mad…do it again…humor me."

Arizona studies me for a moment, then says loudly, "Calliope Iphegenia Torres."

I wince slightly, then nod and take a breath, "Ok, now, take out my middle name, and…try Robbins, instead of Torres."

Her eyes widen, a little, "What?"

My smile softens, "In five months, I'm going to be your wife, and I want to hear what it would sound like if I changed my name…"

I can see Arizona gulp as she watches me closely, "You want to take my name?"

Shrugging, I drop my eyes, "Honestly, I don't know. But, it's definitely something I've been thinking about…is that ok?"

She's quiet for a few seconds, then a much softer voice tries, "Calliope Robbins."

The sound of her saying my name merged with hers sends a warm chill through my body. I like it. "Yeah, I could get used to that."

"How about Jackson Robbins? And, Alex Robbins? Mark Robbins? Yeah, we should all change our names."

Arizona and I glare at Avery standing in the doorway, "Seriously? Did this seem like a conversation we wanted your input on?"

"Yes."

Rolling her eyes, Arizona turns back to me and places a gentle kiss on my lips, the last moment of 'Callie and Arizona the couple' until we go to bed. "We'll continue this later."

"Yes, ma'am." We head downstairs, each shoulder checking Avery on our way out.

"Well, that was uncalled for, ladies." Avery grumbles as he trots down after us.

"Good morning, boys." I call as we enter the common area. "What's on the agenda for today?"

"Sloan's writing poetry." Karev answers distractedly as he focuses on his XBOX.

"I am not writing poetry…just a letter to go with the flowers I'm sending Stacy." Sloan shoots back as he taps a pen against his scruffy chin.

As Arizona picks up the spare controller to challenge Karev, I sidle up next to Sloan, "Let me see-" I snatch the paper before he even registers what I said. Smirking, I glance at the paper and read, "I like your boobs." Flipping the stationary over, I realize that that is his entire message. Grinning, I drop the paper back on the table, "Good work, Sloan. Pervy and to the point."

"Thank you," He replies as he resumes staring at the paper and chews on the tip of his pen.

"She does have nice boobs…" Arizona comments as she furiously taps buttons on the controller, attempting to destroy Alex.

With five quick strides, I stand in between Arizona and the TV just long enough to hear evidence that Alex took the moment to annihilate Arizona's character. "Callie! You just made me lose!" She glares at me, then huffs, "Your boobs are way better, I was just saying hers are nice. I'm sorry."

Before I can reply, Karev states, "I don't know that Callie's are better than Stacy's…take off your shirt, Torres. Lets settle this."

Arizona immediately swipes a foot at the legs of Karev's chair, sending him crashing to the floor with a yelp. "You may not, under any circumstances, look at or think about her boobs. Understand?" When Alex just groans from the cold tiles, Arizona nods and glances back at the screen. Using a sniper scope to shoot a single shot through Karev's character's crotch, she grins. "I win."

"Do you all believe that you're paid to sit around and play games all day?" Not giving any of us a chance to respond, the captain continues, "No. Get to work." With a stern look to each of us, he unceremoniously exits the common room.

We all sigh and start to move toward our assigned chores for the day, but are interrupted by the beautiful sound of the alarm. We have a fire. In an instant, we all shift from lack luster janitors to fierce and focused fire fighters.

Arizona sprits ahead of everyone and bursts through the garage doors, Avery calling after her, "Whoa, Robbins. Where's the fire?" He giggles at his own hilarity as we all roll our eyes and shove limbs into thick gear.

Arizona barely waits for all of us to get on before she flips on the siren and pulls the massive truck onto the populated Seattle street. Cars part in front of us like the Red Sea, clearing the path for a lead-footed driver. Not only one of the best drivers in the state, but the cutest, as well. A driver that I get to marry in five months. Sloan begins to rattle of the details of the fire we're headed to, causing me to snap out of my internal musings. Life is damn good.

AN: Short and sweet chapter to get back into the swing of things. Let me know what you thought.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Wow, thank you all so much for the response on the first chapter of this story! It has been brought to my attention that I don't thank you all enough. So, please hear me now…

Thank you.

Seriously, it's so wonderful to get that email that says I have a new review. I write for myself, so not receiving feedback wouldn't really stop me, but it makes it so much more fun. Unfortunately, I don't foresee ever having the time to reply individually to each review, but I will try to be more on top of giving thanks in author's notes. On another note, here's the next chapter. I actually really like this one, despite the fact that it turned out NOTHING like I intended. I hope you all had an awesome Christmas and good luck with the New Year!

"Dammit." I mumble as I turn into yet another dead end storage closet. Shielding my eyes, I stumble back into the labyrinth of a hallway and scan the area for the next searchable room. I couldn't find my way around this huge Victorian home, if my life depended on it…hopefully, it won't. Finding another promising doorway, I duck and begin to crawl into the hazy and blazing room.

"Torres, Karev, the last family member is out and accounted for, get your asses out of there, now. Things don't look good." The sound of Sloan's voice fills my helmet, causing me to release a relieved breath.

"Copy that. I'm on my way," I manage to shout back into the radio. As I get back out to the hall, an entire wall collapses next to me, sending me into a tuck and roll in the opposite direction. I briefly congratulate myself on my ninja reflexes until I realize that the tumbling has completely disoriented me. I have no clue which way I came from or which way I should be going. My head is buzzing a little from the noise and rough movement, and visibility is now around zero. Fan-freaking-tastic. Forcing myself to take a long, deep breath, I glance around. I can do this. I'm a bad-ass firefighter, this is what I do.

With nothing more than a guess, I begin to army crawl to my left, hoping that there's some way out…There isn't. This is the fucking closet again and everything past it is too consumed in flames to even consider trying. Shit. A flashing thought alerts me that Arizona is going to kill me if I get out of this. When. When I get out of this.

A deep groan comes from the house. A groan that sends searing hot and frigid cold chills through my body. That's the desperate cry of the house fronting it's final struggle against the unrelenting fire. I'm out of time. Turning around, I will my body to move as quick as possible in the storm of heat and destruction. I make out a vaguely familiar doorway up ahead of me. I think that's the door to the back staircase, probably my only chance. As I move to slip through, rubble comes barreling down around me, causing me to duck away. Swallowing hard and letting out a shaky breath, I determine that I'm still whole and unharmed. Suddenly, a rough force grips my collar and tugs me forward.

"What the hell are you doing just sitting on your ass, Torres! Let's get the fuck outta here!" Avery's voice has never sounded as angelic as it did in that moment.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" I growl back as I hastily follow him toward our freedom.

"Just keep moving." I can hear his labored breathing through the roar of the flames.

The stairs a just stable enough for us to hunch over and sort of run down. The adrenaline coursing through me has my senses painfully alert, and my heart and lungs working too hard. Since we were on the third floor, the trip seems to be miles down, and I start to wonder if we'll ever make it.

"Avery, Torres, I don't want to panic you, but we were just now informed that the husband keeps a gasoline reserve for the tractors in the basement-" I barely register that he is still talking, but I don't hear another word.

"Son of a bitch! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Avery all but squeals as we began to jump down the remaining stairs.

I don't bother wasting any effort adding to his eloquent statement, that's really all there is to say in this type of situation. After what seems like a hundred hours, I see muted light to our right. We dodge more debris and violent flames, bursting through the back door and sprinting across the yard. Once we're about ten yards away, a resonant rumble trembles the earth a split second before the house shatters behind us in an furious ball of smoke, fire, and splinters of the once proud home. Avery and I both yelp as the unseen energy propels us viciously forward, and unapologetically slams us to the muddy ground.

Once we skid to a halt, we both lay panting and shivering in the grass. My ears are ringing and my body aches, but I'm fairly certain that I'm not hurt too seriously. "How you doin' over there, Princess?" I gasp out to Avery.

A pained moan comes from him, "I should have been an actor."

Chuckling breathlessly, I start attempting to move, "What?"

He groans as he pushes himself to a sitting position, "I could pay someone else to do these stupid stunts for me. But, I would get all the fame and girls."

Laughing again, I mirror his position with a grunt, "Well, that's a noble dream, Avery."

"Thank you."

We wait a few minutes, trying to regain function of our over stressed bodies. An inkling of concern toys with my conscious, like a thought is trying to come through. Looking around, I realize that I don't see anyone we know. A few other firefighters and paramedics have come to check on us, but we've been brushing them off, because we're mostly okay. But, I don't see our crew. Grabbing my radio in my helmet, I call out, "Yo, Sloan, you copy?" After several seconds, I try again. No reply comes, so I shake the headset. Nothing. "I think my com's dead. Try yours."

Avery grabs his and shakes it before depressing the button, "Can anyone hear me?" No reply follows. "Huh, guess the blast shorted them."

I glance around, finally absorbing the chaotic scene surrounding us. Paramedics run between firefighters and the family that was in the home. Firefighters scurry frantically to secure the scene. Police officers survey and take statements, while keeping bystanders at an appropriate distance. Sirens blare and flashing lights illuminate the foggy area. "Shit."

Avery glances at me curiously when he detects the strangled tone of my voice, "What?"

Instantly standing on wobbly legs, I state, "I don't think they know we made it out."

His eyes go wide with the realization that our crew probably thinks we were inside when it exploded. As he shakily stands and begins to follow my stumble to the other side of the house, he mumbles, "Robbins is so going to kill you."

"Shut up." I growl back, even knowing he is entirely correct.

When we round the crumpled heap that used to be a recognizable structure, I can barely make out our engine. Scanning the immediate vicinity, I spot Sloan out in front and Karev toward the back of the engine. As we get closer, Sloan glances in our direction and even from our distance, I can see his shoulders slump in relief, "Thank, God. Where the hell were you two?" He calls over the background cacophony. Before either of us answer, he calls over his shoulder, "Karev!"

Avery gives him a quick run down of what happened, but I tune out as I watch Karev look our way, then turn to say something to someone out of my view. I have no doubt who is hiding behind the huge truck. Confirming my suspicions, Karev makes eye contact with me and nods to the spot that he was talking to and heads over to help Sloan finish securing the site.

Swallowing hard, I take a few tentative steps to round the end of the vehicle. The sight immediately causes my heart to facture and splinter. Arizona's hands are splayed on the truck, her weight leaning against straight arms, her head hung between them, and a visible tremble is arresting her body. "Hey." It's all I can manage with the tension swirling around us. The single word intensifies the instability of her body and she just shakes her head. "Arizona, I-"

With a whoosh of breath, she pushes off the cold metal, and finally looks at me, whispering, "Not now." Blue eyes convey fear, relief, love, and anger all at once as she passes me. This one hit her hard.

Because of the amount of units called in to help with the scene, we finish pretty quickly and head back to the station. Arizona doesn't speak a word to me the entire time, which isn't really a surprise. This is her usual process when I scare her, like I did today. She shuts me out completely until we can be alone, sometimes longer. It can't be easy having to watch the person you love purposefully enter into dangerous situations every day. I honestly don't know how she does it. I can only handle her working with me because she's the driver and almost never goes into a burning building. My protective gaze never strays from her as she drives us back 'home'. Her jaw is set in a hard line, her body moves a little stiffly, and her brows furrow in contemplation. I doubt she's thinking that thoroughly on driving, probably forgoing the extra concern for the road to consider her feelings on almost losing her fiancé a few hours ago.

We finally get back to the station and start to change out of our gear. Noticing that Arizona is not ready to acknowledge me yet, I take the moment to turn to Avery, "Hey, I know I don't need to say it, but, thank you for coming in after me today. I don't know if I- thanks."

Avery smiles softly, "You're right, you never need to thank me for that. But, to be fair, she more or less bullied me into it." With a crooked grin he motions toward Arizona.

Nodding, I notice that the clothes I'm wearing are soaked with sweat and my whole body feels grimy. "I'm, uh, going to go shower."

"Is that an invitation?" Avery asks cheekily.

Intercepting Arizona's glare at Avery, our eyes connect as I answer him, "Not for you."

I trudge into the upstairs bathroom and start the shower running. I lean back against the counter and wait for Arizona to follow me. A few minutes pass without the appearance of a blonde beauty, causing me to sigh and strip out of my stinky clothes. With one last longing glance at the empty doorway, I slip into the shower and melt under the scalding stream of water. Quickly drenching my long hair, I squirt shampoo into my hand and eagerly rub it into my scalp, washing away the smoke and sweat.

The soft scrape of metal on metal tells me that someone is pulling the shower curtain back. A brief pause, then the same sound signals the re-close of said curtain. I don't bother turning to identify the intruder. Lean, strong, fair-skinned arms wind around my mid-section, instantly pulling my body flush against hers. Her soft breasts press into my back, and despite the ambiguousness of her emotional state, a burning tingle tickles my insides. Warm lips place a feather-light kiss in the crook of my neck before a smooth cheek lays on my shoulder. After a few silent moments pass, each simply soaking in the other, I twist in her gentle embrace to face her. Her eyes are dark with desire, love, and uncertainty. Instantly recognizing this look, I grin softly and brush a damp strand of gold off her face. After momentarily cupping her cheek, I reach behind her and grab my loofah and body wash. We probably don't have time for all this, but hopefully the guys will cover for us and no fires interrupt.

I pour a generous amount of sweet smelling liquid onto the loofah and silently offer it to her. Arizona takes it with a small smile and slowly works the soap into a delicate lather. Starting at my neck, she runs the fancy sponge along my collarbone and over my shoulders. She moves gradually, taking care to cover every inch of my tanned skin. I stay motionless, content to simply observe her as she watches her own hand glide over my body. My bottom lip nestles between my teeth when the slightly rough material grazes through my breasts and over my sensitive nipples. Her hand moves in lazy circles around one tight bud, then slips to the other. The hand not holding the loofah reaches out and laces our fingers together as her other continues down to tease my abdomen. My muscles twitch with anticipation and just a little ticklishness. Instead of dropping below my hips, Arizona takes a small step forward to reach her arm around and drag the soapy sponge along my spine.

I grin down, gazing into her eyes while she runs the loofah over my ass several times. An adorable smirk now rests on her perfect lips, revealing her growing ease and increasing interest in the current activity. She places a kiss on my collarbone as her hand trails lower, skimming along the back of my thigh, the back of my knee, and finally my calf before traveling back up the front of my quivering leg. By this point, I'm getting a little antsy. I'm all for leisurely love making and body worshipping, but that doesn't mean it doesn't turn me on quickly. However, this is her show. Today she gets control. So, I stand still impatiently allowing her to take the lead. She carresses small designs on the top of my thigh, seemingly enjoying the way I'm starting to squirm and almost pant in her face.

At last, I feel the loofah shift to the apex of my legs. I unconsciously move for the first time when I slide my feet further apart, granting her better access. Unhurriedly, she brushes my outer lips with the pleasurably abrasive material. A small sigh escapes, and she adds just a little pressure to her next stroke. Steam swirls thickly around us as we let the water pour over our bodies, staring lovingly into the other's eyes as we connect on beautifully intimate level. Using a knuckle, she nudges my lips apart and drags the loofah lightly through my folds. A gasp falls from my parted lips when it sweeps over my clit. She repeats this process a few more times, before allowing the no-longer-needed tool to tumble to the bottom of the tub.

In the next instant, two delicate fingers plunge swiftly into me, my body more than ready for the intrusion. A moan bubbles up from me as she begins to move very slowly in and out of my core. My legs quake, causing me to plead for a little help with my eyes. Arizona understands immediately and spins us so that she can brace my body against the wall as she pumps into me. Her fingers feel amazing within me, my slick muscles clenching tighter with each stroke. I drop my forehead to nuzzle her neck as I whimper and groan in pleasure. It just takes a few minutes for me to teeter to the edge of bliss, one hand wrapped tightly around hers above our heads, the other gripping her hip as she brings me closer and closer. Finally, with a curl of her fingers and a swipe of her thumb, my entire body goes rigid and my breath catches. Heat hotter than any fire rips up from my core and singes my skin. Spasms rock my body against hers, our soapy forms rubbing deliciously together.

She keeps close as I ride out the aftershocks, placing tender kisses on my neck and shoulder. A few long moments of ebbing tremors pass, then she withdraws her coated fingers, my muscles twitching in protest of the loss. When our eyes meet again, she kisses me for the first time since this morning. A deep, leisurely kiss that turns my insides to mush. Our arms snake around the other as tongues battle goal-lessly. When we break for air, her eyes shine with love. A nearly inaudible whisper trickles from her lips, "Try not to scare me like that again."

All I can do is nod and kiss her with unyielding devotion.

AN: So…what did you think?

AN3: There's a good chance that I will be starting a new story in the very near future, so it's likely that updates will be even slower as I try to straddle two stories for the first time. I'll really try to lessen that effect as much as possible, though. I just got an idea and now can't get it out of my head. Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up, and keep an eye out for the new one (For now, the title is "I've Been Waiting")


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey, guys, sorry that took a bit. I got super sick and writing was the last thing on my mind…well, not the last, just last on my list of priorities for energy rationing. Anyway, this chapter turned out to have just a long scene with the guys. It was supposed to be a short scene with the guys and then the next part, but you're gonna get a separate chapter for the other part, now… You probably didn't need to know all that…I hope you all are having a wonderful day!

"Avery! You're still the prettiest in all the land. Now, get your ass out!" I watch in amusement as Arizona dances outside the bathroom door, clearly in desperate need to pee.

"Let the guy poop in peace, Robbins." Karev advises as he packs up his clothes by wadding them up and shoving them in a wrinkly bag.

"He's not pooping! I can hear the blow dryer going…but, I have no idea why, because you have NO HAIR!" Arizona bellows through the door at Avery.

"Just go squat in a bush!" Jackson's reply is muffled by the door and the dryer, but the message enrages Arizona, just the same.

"Jackson Avery if you don't come out in the next five seconds, I'm going to-" Her threat gets cut off as the door swings open.

"There you go, your highness." As Arizona tries to push past him, he puts a hand on her arm, stalling her, "Wait…feel my luscious locks of raven hair." Avery delicately runs his fingers through his short curls. Arizona rolls her eyes and yanks her arm free. As she slams the door in his face, he calls out, "You never said what you were going to do to me. Was it kinky?"

"Calliope!" A stern holler comes from inside the bathroom.

Understanding her implied request, I unceremoniously cross the room to Avery and smack the back of his head, immediately following it with hard tug on the top of his ear, "Just stop talking, Avery."

"Yeah, yeah…" He grumbles as he slinks away, rubbing his reddened ear.

"Thanks, babe," Arizona says when she exits a few moments later, rewarding me with a light kiss.

"Anytime." We walk downstairs to finish our end of shift chores, nearly done for the next two days.

"Yes! It came on time!" Avery squeals in delight, holding a package over his head.

"What's with all the girlish screaming? Did the captain of the football team ask his buddy to ask your BFF for your phone number?" Sloan quips as he peers over Jackson's shoulder.

"Better! Our collaborated gift for the ladies of the house just got here."

"Your what?" I ask, stepping closer to them.

"We, uh, we all got you girls a little something. It's kind of an early wedding present, I guess." Sloan says, almost shyly.

"Really?" Arizona asks, "That's so sweet. What'd you get us?" In what can be described only as exuberance, Arizona snatches the box and begins to examine it. "Can we open it now? It's heavy…and rattles…" I can't help but chuckle a bit at her giddy interest in presents.

"Yeah, open it now, bee-atch!" When we both fix Avery with daring looks, he amends, "Sorry about the bee-atch…just open it!"

Arizona glances at me and waits for me to nod permission for her to tear into it like a child on Christmas morning. When I give it, she grins and rips into the package. Giggling, she pulls out the objects. In her hands are two perfectly shiny red firefighter helmets with beautiful white veils attached and the words 'Mrs. Firefighter' engraved below our station's emblem. I laugh as I take one from her proffered hand. "Aw, guys, you shouldn't have."

Karev scoffs, "They're not useful or anything, but we thought they suited you."

Arizona and I grin as we raise them to our heads at the same time. They look cute. Though, I'd never say that out loud.

"They're so cute! Thanks, boys!" Arizona squeals, obviously not as concerned about being badass.

Without hesitation, I lean over and place a sweet and loving kiss on her smiling lips. As I pull away and she sends me a pleasantly questioning look, I shrug and explain, "I just couldn't not kiss you when you're wearing that hat."

Arizona nods, then stretches up on her toes to speak into my ear, "Then wait until I pair it with the new red lingerie I just bought."

I'm certain that my jaw is hanging comically open as I conjure up delicious images, but I couldn't care less. My fiancé is wicked hot.

"Ok, sorry to interrupt, but there's one more present in there." Avery announces as he motions to the opened box.

"Your turn." Arizona tells me as she adjusts her heavy hat on her head.

Reaching into the package, I grasp a smaller, lighter, and more expensive looking box. Knitting my eyebrows at the boys, then Arizona, I carefully lift the lid on the flat, velvet container. Inside are two feminine, but very sturdy looking ID bracelets. I set the box on the table so that I can gently remove one from the soft lining. Arizona peers over my shoulder, squinting to see the engraving. On the back, it simply says 'Calliope' and 'Arizona' with the eternity symbol in between. Smiling at the sentiment, I flip it over and see '3,745' written on the front. Just a number. Confused, I glance at Arizona, only getting a shrug. Then I look up at the boys, "Uh…I'm sorry, but I don't get it."

They all exchange nervous glances, seeming to come to a decision when Sloan clears his throat and speaks up. "So, those are matching bracelets with your names on the inside and a number on the outside." He pauses, prompting me to raise my eyebrows, letting him know to continue because we already knew that. "That's a number of dollars. The number of dollars that we've bet on you two since Arizona got here."

Arizona and I look at each other in surprise, then back at Sloan, "Um, what?"

Sloan clears his throat again, "Um, see, we've been betting on you two for a long time. On when you'd sleep together, who was top and who was bottom-" We both glare at him at that, but allow him to continue, "How long it would take to get engaged, who would break and drag the other off for sex after a heated game at Joe's or a really good fire, who would propose…etc. What we noticed, though, was that every single bet was based on the assumption that you guys would be together. That you were supposed to be together. Never once was the bet about 'if' you'd be a couple or when you'd break up." A blush creeps up his cheeks with this confession, but Arizona and I only grin and wait for him to finish. "So, we counted it up and we've invested three thousand, seven hundred and forty-five dollars in the belief that you two are made for each other. This way, when things get tough, you can look at these and know that we all believe in you. Also, this is our promise that we will not bet on you anymore. Those are the last dollars we'll swap based on your relationship."

Speechless. Arizona and I are straight up speechless. These bracelets are odd, as well as sweet and thoughtful. Just like the guys. I walk up to Sloan and pull him into a hug, "Thanks. These are strangely perfect."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't just me…" He rubs the back of his neck as he adverts his eyes from mine.

I turn to find Arizona releasing Avery from her own warm hug, and Avery grins, "You don't have to wear them if you don't want to…but, we made sure that they would be strong enough to wear at work…"

Choosing to abandon words for the moment, I move to hug Karev and then Avery. Arizona speaks up after making her own rounds, "Of course, we're going to wear them. Help me?" She asks of Karev, while Avery offers to help with mine. When they're both latched to our left wrists, we hold them out to admire. They are kind of awesome. Delicate, but not girly. Durable, but not too masculine. I like them, a lot.

"You guys are awesome. Thank you so much…" She trails off and glances at me, questioning. I know what she wants, and I'm up for it, so I nod. "Actually, we have something we want to ask all of you."

With a slight tip of her head, she lets me know that I'm going first. Taking a deep breath, I turn to Sloan, "I, uh, was wondering if you would be my best man?" While I love all the guys, Mark has always been my rock, and he deserved the spot.

Sloan's mouth spread into a wide grin, "Sure! It would be my honor." After wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close, he added, "This means I'm going to plan you one hell of a bachelorette party!"

Chuckling, I nod to Arizona, and she steps up to Karev. "I am also in need of a best man. Alex Karev, will you do me the honor?"

Karev's eyes go wide and his mouth twists into something that seems to convey disgust, but then he relaxes and shrugs, "Yeah, sure, whatever…I'd like that." Finally, a small smile peeks out as Arizona throws her arms around him.

We simultaneously turn to observe the wounded puppy look on Avery's face. He scuffs his shoe on the ground, the looks up and mumbles, "Congratulations," to the other two.

Arizona and I exchange amused smiles, and she speaks up, "Aw, don't be sad, Jackson. We have a special place for you."

Before she can continue, I see his hopeful expression and can't resist, "Yeah, you're going to be the stripper at our bachelorette parties. Yay!"

We all watch as Avery's jaw drops and he gets all flustered, "What?! These guys get to be your best men and I get to strip?! Are you kidding? Besides, you two like boobs and vaginas, and I have a very large pe-" He stops mid-word as he finally processes my devilish smirk and growing discomfort with where the sentence was heading. "And, you're joking…"

The whole group breaks out into full bellied laughs at the look of relief and defeat washing over his pretty boy features. "Yes, I am. Avery, you've always been the heart of this station, so we'd like to ask that you perform the ceremony at our wedding." I say in a near identical tone to my teasing one, which makes his reaction a little delayed as he processes what I said.

"Wait…you want me to marry you two? Seriously?" Avery asks with cautioned awe.

Arizona stepped closer to him, "Yes, we do. What do you say?"

"I say…hell, yes!" With a quick scan of the group, he suddenly yells, "Group hug!" With only a slight pause, we all huddle together, laughing as we wrap our arms around the others and sway unsteadily as a giant mass.

This is what we're doing when a deep voice filters through the air and into our bonding moment, "What the hell is going on out here?" The captain stands with his hands on his hips, surveying the scene.

We all continue to grin as I supply, "A group hug, sir. Would like to join us?" A wave of snickers swell up around me.

"Maybe next time. Now, go home. You're shift is over, Company A is here." With that he spins around and heads back to his office.

"Aw, he's so sad he missed out on our awesome group hug. We'll need to make it up to him." Avery states wistfully as he grabs his things.

"I'm sure he'll love that," Sloan adds sarcastically.

"We'll just have Robbins and Torres press their boobs into him, and I'm sure he won't mind too much…that's why I do them." Karev jokes as he jogs to his car.

Rolling my eyes, I call out, "We on for Joe's tonight?"

A round of agreement meets my ears, making me smile. I love Joe's night out with the guys. In general, I love the guys. I couldn't think of a better place to work or group of people to work with.

AN: So, I know that wasn't my best chapter, but hopefully the next one makes up for it. Have an awesome day!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: So, I'm not so good at balancing two stories…and, unfortunately, I'm particularly excited about my other story, right now…which means, updates will probably be slow (like pretty much every story I write). Anyway, sorry about that, but priorities and all. Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's just fluffy. Have an awesome day.

When we get to my car, Arizona turns to me and holds out her hand. "I'm going to drive."

"Um, what? Why?" I'm very confused as to why she thinks she can just demand to drive my car. We switch off on whose car we take for this reason. We don't drive each other's babies.

"I want to show you something, but I want it to be a surprise, so I have to drive. Please?" She bats her eyelashes and sticks out her bottom lip, just like she knows I can't resist.

Without warning, I swoop forward and capture that lip between mine, and bite down a little, then sooth it with my tongue, "I hate when you do that." But, I hand her the keys and move to the passenger side.

"I know." With a wink, she slips behind the wheel of my Thunderbird and starts the engine.

"So, where are we going?" I try after several minutes of comfortable silence.

"What part of _surprise_ don't you understand?" Arizona quips, accelerating as she finally makes it outside the city and hits an open country road.

"The part where you're driving my car and won't tell me why." I answer easily, admiring the crystal clear countryside we're currently drifting into.

I can feel Arizona roll her eyes as she reaches for the radio dial, "We need some music."

"Excellent deflection. You're lucky I love you, or you'd definitely be losing a hand for touching my radio right now."

"I tell myself I'm lucky you love me everyday." She sends me a slightly over-the-top sweet smile.

Despite knowing that she's just trying to distract me and butter me up, I feel myself melt like hot ice cream. "Ok, ok, smooth talker, I got it. Just drive so we can get wherever you're taking me."

Arizona giggles, then squeals as she stops adjusting the tuner, "Yes! Perfect!"

I cock my head, attempting to place the song she's so excited about. When I recognize the ridiculous lyrics and cheesy beat, I start shaking my head, "Uh huh, hell no. My baby's speakers will not be tainted with this crap." My hand shoots out to change the station, but Arizona's hand gets there first and slaps my hand away.

"I'm driving, so I get to choose the music."

"But, it's my car!" I whine. "How is there even a station that will play this? It's old, and it was bad when it was new!" I start to gesture wildly to illustrate my distress.

"Oh, stop being such a grumpy puss and sing with me…You know you secretly like it…" Her voice carries a taunting lilt that just amps up my annoyance.

Before she can start, I interrupt, "Uh, no. I am not singing Ashlee Simpson with you…It's not even the good Simpson."

"Is there a good Simpson?" Arizona asks with a doubtful raised eyebrow.

"Good point…There's a hotter Simpson." I point out, just to irritate my fiancée.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that. Now, sing!" Much to my dismay, she spins up the volume, causing my expensive speakers to vibrate harshly with the superficial, but damningly catchy tune. Then, my darling wife-to-be begins to sing at the top of her lungs, "You can meet me on an aeroplane, or the back of the bus. You can throw me like a boom-a-rang, I'll come back and beat you up. Oh-" She pauses to flash me a warning look, "Calliope…"

I clench my jaw, but resign to my fate. With a deep sigh, I belt out with Arizona, "You make me wanna la-la, in the kitchen on the floor. I'll be your French maid, when I meet you at the door. I'm like an alley cat, drink the milk up, I want more. You make me wanna, you make me wanna scream." With a little less of a grudge, I look to my left, watching as Arizona happily bops along to the song, causing me to internally admit that the song somehow fit the moment. Unable to resist the sight of the beautiful blonde completely enjoying herself, I let a wide grin take up my face, and continue to sing, "I feel safe with you, I can be myself tonight. It's alright with you cause you hold my secrets tight. You do, you do. You make me wanna la-la…"

When the song fades out, leaving us both laughing hysterically, Arizona gasps, "And, that, Calliope, is why I'm marrying you."

My brows furrow, having not expected that comment, "Because I sing with you?"

Her dimples pop and her curls bounce as she shakes her head, "No, because you'll do pretty much anything to make me happy."

My stomach flutters as I smile like an idiot. Rolling my eyes, I place a loud, sloppy kiss on her cheek, "Damn, you are laying it on thick. Are you bringing me out here to kill me or something?"

"Nope, not today."

With a light scoff, I lean back in my seat, "And, yes, I would do anything to make you happy."

"Thank you for that." Her voice is soft as she intertwines her fingers with mine.

"It's my pleasure."

We sit and sing with the radio or just enjoy each others company for another thirty-five minutes before she starts to slow the car. I sit a little straighter in my seat and glance around, searching for some clue to where we are as she turns right onto a dirt road. There isn't really anything around except some trees and a wide meadow. "Uh, babe, seriously, where are we going?"

"Patience." Arizona sweetly chastises.

Turns out, I didn't have to wait long. About hundred yards down the road, it opens up into a small clearing with one building nestled directly in the middle. It seems to have two stories and intricate architecture. It obviously hasn't been used in a while, but former beauty shines through. Arizona brought the car to a smooth halt and slid out. Silently following her, I step up and gaze with her at the dusty structure. "So, I waited nicely until we got all the way here…what's going on?"

Instead of answering directly, Arizona shifts over to stand behind me and wraps her arms securely around my waist. When her chin rests softly on my shoulder, she starts talking quietly, "Imagine lots of flowers, maybe some twinkly lights, an awesome band either in the front room or around back in the meadow, lots of chairs and silky material all around…"

Grinning broadly, I lean back into her, "Are you talking about getting married here?"

"If you like it, I am. This used to be a firehouse, but it was closed down twenty or thirty years ago. I think that with some repairs and a very deep cleaning, it could be perfect for our wedding. There's tons of space, it's simple, but could be elegant, it could be indoors or outdoors, it's totally appropriate that it used to be a fire station…I really like it, but if you don't I'll happily keep looking." I don't say anything for a few minutes, prompting her to add, "You don't have to decide now or anything, I just wanted to throw it into the ring." She punctuates her statement with a kiss to the crook of my neck.

I rub my hands up and down the length of her arms as I take in the possible site of my wedding. It really does seem wonderful. It's unique, but not ridiculous. It's classy, but not pretentious. Big, but not huge. Unlimited potential. And, I love the open, country setting. Nodding and grinning, I finally speak, "Well, first off, the location of our wedding means much less to me than marrying you part." This earns me another kiss on my neck, "And, secondly, I think this place is great. Our wedding could be fantastic here."

"Yeah?"

I spin to face Arizona and loop my arms around her neck. "Yeah." Without hesitation, I place my lips on her sparkling grin. Our mouths move slow and sure against the other, unhurried in our attempt to convey love to each other. When we naturally break, I look back to the building, "So, how did you find this place?"

"I told the Captain that I would like a cool old firehouse as an alternative to a church or over-used venue. He said he remembered that there used to be a station out this way and said that I should check into it. So, I did." She grips my hand and motions toward the door, "You wanna see inside?"

"Absolutely!" I practically drag her up the steps and dance as I wait for her to open the splintering door. "Wait, how'd you get the key?"

Arizona twists the knob and gestures for me to enter, "I called around and found the man in charge. Impressed?"

With a distracted nod, I scan the neglected interior, "Yes, I am. This is great." The ceilings are high, the light is surprisingly good, the moldings and staircase were original and gorgeous. And, I can not explain how it smells exactly like our station. I love that. After a quick look around, Arizona grabs my hand and leads me toward the back.

"Last thing you need to see…" With a slightly labored push, she swings open the large door that leads out to the meadow. My breath catches as I absorb the scene. Mountains in the background, wildflowers, green grass, a light breeze, clear skies, and a few large trees make up an amazing view.

"So, I may never leave here…I hope you can accept that." I say breathily, grasping her hand.

"I am so good with that."

"Awesome." Seeing a clearing off to my right, I lead Arizona over and immediately lay down on my back in the plush grass. "Come on, lay with me."

Without hesitation, Arizona shoots me a dimpled grin, rolls her eyes, and stretches out next to me. As we gaze into the pale sky, Arizona breaks the calm quiet, "That one looks like a vagina."

With a snort, I follow her line of sight to a fluffy, white cloud, "One, we're not cloud watching. And, two…yes, it does."

Arizona giggles, "Well, I'm cloud watching. So, what do you plan on doing while I do that?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see her smirk. So, I turn over and start kissing her smooth neck. My hand slips just under her shirt, and I scoot closer, "I'm just going to be minding my own business, right here. Carry on with your vagina clouds."

A soft moan whispers from her lips as I nibble on her collarbone, "There's also boob and ass clouds…"

AN: Hope that was worth the wait. Also, the song is "La-La" by Ashlee Simpson. I found an old mix CD I made a long time ago and that was on it…it hasn't left my head since…


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hey, I'm sorry I keep dropping of the end of the earth. I really do try, but I'm just easily distracted. Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you guys like it. Thank you so much to anyone still reading and to everyone that keeps reminding me that they're out there and looking forward to reading more. Thank you!

"3, 2, 1, GO!" Sloan's deep bellow sets Jackson and myself in motion. We dive to the side while simultaneously firing off several rubber bands towards Sloan and Karev. As I duck behind a large set of drawers, I look over to see my team mate, in this game, crouched next to a large barrel. Jackson signals that he's moving to his right and that I should cover for him. Nodding once, I jump up and start to rapid fire colored rubber bands toward the opposing team who I can just barely see as they hide behind the colossal truck.

"Hi-ya!" I yell for no particular reason.

"Hi-ya? Are you confused about what we're doing, Torres?" Mark shouts as he ducks and returns fire.

"I know, I'm certainly confused about what the hell is going on out here." We all pause for a brief second as Webber stands in the middle of the battleground wearing a disapproving scowl.

Before anybody can react, Arizona comes speeding by on her Heelies, grabs the Captain and yanks him out of sight, while yelling, "I've got you, Sir!" We all hold our breath in disbelief as we hear Arizona exclaim, "Damn, that was close, but we're safe now, and I think we can take them."

A rumble of low and slightly nervous giggles erupt from the various hiding places of the mildly ashamed crew. There was no way the Captain would go along with our massive

Rubber band fight, in fact, we'd most likely get a boat load of extra chores for pulling something like this.

We all stay frozen in our spots, wondering what would happen next. As I glance at Jackson, who just shrugs, our eyes widen when we hear commotion. From behind the filing cabinets, Webber and Arizona come bursting out shooting like crazy people. They easily take out Jackson and Sloan, leaving Karev and I to form a new, silent alliance to take down the sudden power team.

"You might as well come out and surrender, you hairy-back Marys. You've got no chance." The Captain's calm and taunting voice echoes through the large garage. My mouth hangs open as I look over to Karev who mouths "Oh, hell, no," and motions for me to move in the direction of Arizona, while he moves toward Webber.

I nod and stealthily sleek around to come up from behind my fiancée. I take her by surprise, whirling her around, and capturing her lips in a searing kiss. I figure I can distract her long enough for Alex to take out the Captain. But, I guess I get a little too into the kiss, because I don't notice her teammate approach until I feel a flick on my forehead. I break our heated liplock and look up with hazy eyes, finally focusing on the Captain wearing a proud look.

"Nice try, Torres." As I growl in defeat, he suddenly exclaims, "Son of a bitch!"

When he spins on his spot, I see Karev behind him wearing smirk, "Yeah, I just shot you, Captain."

Too busy laughing at the look on Webber's face, I notice too late that Arizona has pulled away and is firing at Karev, hitting him square in the chest. "And, I just shot you. So, I believe that means we win." She smugly high fives Webber as we all groan at our humiliating loss.

"How did two people that weren't playing beat us?" Jackson whines.

"Because I'm awesome." Arizona quips, before glancing at the Captain's stern look and correcting, "We're awesome."

"Uh, huh." Webber hums, then looks around, "Alright, back to work."

We begin to shuffle to our work tasks and then release a rally of whoops as the alarm rings shrilly throughout the station. "That's a live one, ladies!" Sloan barks as we all dash to our gear.

As per usual, Arizona jumps on the rig before any of us, this time calling over her shoulder, "Last one on has to kiss Avery!" This sets us all in a fury of frantic movements to load up. I shove Mark out of the way to get on ahead of him, which forces him to push Karev against the truck so that he gets up first. This leaves Karev loading up right after Jackson.

"Pucker up, Karev!" I tease as Arizona pulls us out onto the street.

"I'll save it for later." Alex grumbles, settling next to a smirking Jackson, who is even kind enough to bat his eyelashes.

"Hey, why are we headed to East Seattle? There has to be closer stations." Arizona asks as she weaves through the heavy traffic.

"It's all hands on deck. It's a school." Sloan replies grimly, then begins to break it down.

We all listen closely with renewed attention and dedication now that we know a lot of kids' lives are on the line.

When we arrive at M. Davis Elementary School, the truck barely stops before we're leaping off and heading to the officer in charge. While Sloan speaks with the officer, I take a second to look around. The entire building is overrun with flames or smoke, completely obscuring any recognizable form. The area is swarming with emergency response teams, neighboring business people, passer-bys, and masses of worried teachers and parents. I swallow hard and hope like hell that all the kids made it out. This was one of those that could go very, very bad.

Sloan starts barking out orders, giving me parameter checks on the west side of the building. I immediately start off in a brisk jog to cover my area. When I get to my post I do a quick and thorough scan of the surrounding yard, and then carefully search each window and doorway for any signs of missed victims or potential dangers. My initial search does not reveal any immediate threat or urgent situation, so I continue to pace the length of the building, keeping an weary eye on the crumbling building.

A few minutes later, I see a brunette women streaking toward the looming flames. My eyes go wide at the sight and I sprint toward her. I manage to catch her just twenty feet from the raging inferno and restrain her from moving forward. The woman is slight and not particularly strong, but her current state of hysterics is making it near impossible to hang on to her. "Ma'am! Please, stop! You can not go in there!" I'm trying not to scream in her ear, but the strength it's taking to hold her back is causing my volume to escalate.

"I have to! She's in there! My baby, she's in there!" The woman is screeching back at me as she exerts a new wave of vigor into her struggle.

Summoning all my strength, I am able to pull her back several yards before I loosen my grip. "Listen, ma'am. You think your daughter is still in the building?" My voice is calm and supportive, hoping she'll slow down and trust me long enough to keep her safe and help her if she needs it.

"YES!" The woman yells and tries to run to the school again, but I yank her back.

"I can't let you go in there. Did you check with the police and all the kids that are out?" I ask as I reach for my radio.

"Yes, they don't know where she is. They said I'll have to wait until they get all the names in, but they're still waiting." The woman begins to sob uncontrollably and my heart leaps out to her.

"Ok, what's your name?" I ask while I talk into my radio. "Sloan, come in."

"Nancy." The woman mumbles as she stares in horror at the mass of ashes and flame that used to be a school.

"Go for Sloan."

"Torres here, get me the officer in charge of victims. Over."

"10-4."

"Nancy, ok, what is your daughter's name?" I've got a hand on her shoulder and am trying to speak in soothing tones, hoping to calm her down a little.

My radio crackles, "Officer Taylor for Firefighter Torres, come back."

"Sarah, her name is Sarah Jamenson."

I nod in understanding at the woman, "Copy Officer Taylor, this is Torres, do you have a 20 on a Sarah Jamenson?"

There's a brief pause before he speaks again, "Firefighter Torres, that's a negative on a Jamenson comma Sarah."

The woman wails despair as I glance back at the burning school, "Copy that."

"I have to get in there! She's deaf! She can't hear the sirens or firefighters calling out for her!" She makes another lunge away from me, but I hold her still.

I gulp, the fact that she's deaf definitely changes things. I turn to the woman, "Nancy, look at me." When her frightened eyes finally drift to mine, I ask, "Why are you trying to get to her here?"

Nancy trembles as she licks her lips and answers, "She has her free period now. She always spends it in the music lab." Seeing my slightly confused face, she continues, "She loves classical music, the vibrations that she can feel. So, she usually goes to the music lab with the computers with the best sound and headphones and listens to music. I'm sure that's where she is and that's on this side of the building."

Watching her closely, I see that she seriously thinks that's where her daughter is, and I can't help but believe that she might be right. Reaching for my radio, I call to Avery, "Avery, come back." As I watch the fire lick the school clean, I address the scared mother next to me, "I'm going to see if I can get someone to do another sweep of that area, but I need you to promise you're not going to try to go in there, again."

I can see her throat constrict and move as she swallows hard, but she eventually nods and crosses her arms tight over her chest.

"That's a go for Avery."

"Avery, what's your location?"

"Uh, second floor, west hall. Over."

"Status?"

"Unstable."

"Roger, stand by."

"Nancy, where exactly is the music lab?" I try to ask evenly but firm, knowing she's on the verge of shock.

"Uh…the, um, the second floor. R-room 215. I-I-think he's close." She stutters her response, clearly barely holding it together.

"Avery, room 215, status?"

"Accessible, barely."

"Copy, look out for girl, name Sarah, deaf. Intel suggests search of 215. Remember visual communication only."

"Roger, stand by."

"Ok, Nancy, I've got a very capable firefighter searching the area now. If she's there, he'll find her. If she's not there, I'll have him look around the room as well." She only nods in response as we stare forward, holding our breath for Avery's report.

What feels like hours pass before radio static pierces the oddly quiet air, "Torres, come back."

"Go for Torres." Nancy grips my sleeve in terror.

"Recovered blonde female, about 10, no speech, pink jacket, black pants."

With a glance to Nancy, who nods vigorously while sobbing, I call back through my hand set, "Copy that. Confirmed ID, 10-45?"

"10-45B."

"10-4. Can you reach the stairway in the corner?"

"Affirmative."

"Copy that. Over and out." Switching frequencies, I click the radio a few times, "Firefighter Torres requesting bus at North West corner of site. Over."

Nancy's shaky voice breaks my focus away for moment, "What's 10-45?"

"Roger, Torres, bus in route. Over."

"What's a 10-45 and 10-45B?" She demands again, getting even more anxious with uncertainly and trepidation.

I face her, while keeping an eye on the door leading to the stairway, "10-45 is the call code for a patient's or victim's status. 10-45B means that the status is serious." When I see her start to panic, I put my hands on both of her shoulders and meet her eyes, "Hey, you need to be strong now, ok. She needs you. A 'serious' status is less than critical, so she's going to be fine. I've called for an ambulance, which will be here by the time they get out, ok?"

Nancy bites her lip and gazes listlessly at the building. Suddenly, the wall bordering the west staircase begins to crumble, huge pieces of concrete and wood tumbling down, sending dust and ash swirling in the air, suffocating the scene in fog. "NOOOO!" Nancy screams as she watches the rubble consume the planned exit for her baby.

My heartbeat speeds up to dangerous levels as I realize that they might have been caught in that collapse. "Shit." Taking a fraction of a second to steady my voice, I grab my radio, "Avery, come back." No response. "Torres calling in structure collapse on the west side." Taking a breath, I try again, "Avery, come back." Again, no answer. Nancy slumps to the ground in a mess of tears and whimpers. "Avery, dammit!"

"Shit, Torres! I'm right here, stop yelling at me!" It takes a moment to realize that the voice didn't come from the radio gripped in my hand, but from somewhere in the smoke in front of me. Finally, I make out a form running through the destruction, a small girl curled up in his protective embrace, his arms covering her head and face.

"Sarah!" Nancy screams and bolts to her girl, grabbing her from Avery's arms and rocking her.

"She's unconscious, with some lacerations and bruising, but I think she'll be ok." He pants to me and Nancy just as the ambulance comes into view.

When the girl and her mom are loaded up, Nancy turning back to whisper, "Thank you," to me, I hit the back twice and they take off.

I turn back to Avery, "Cutting it a little close, weren't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. You're welcome." He says sarcastically as he heads back toward the building to find another way in, to continue his sweep.

As I watch him climb in through a window, I click on my radio, "Avery, come in."

"What now?"

"You're a stud."

"Copy that."

Chuckling, I return to my previous mission of securing the parameter.

Hours later, we all climb up onto the rig, completely spent. It was a tough job. However, by some miracle, there were no casualties. Every single teacher, staff member, and child is accounted for, and none of them are dead. There are some critical cases and many serious injuries, but so far every person made it out alive. That's a freakin' win if I ever saw one. When Arizona pulls herself up into the driver's seat, I sidle up behind her, whispering in her ear, "Hey, speed racer, how you doin'?"

"All good. You?" She answers with a grin.

"All good." I kiss her temple. "Take us home so I can take you to bed." Her dimples pop as she nods and sends me a wink. With one last kiss to her jaw, I lean back so she can focus on driving.

On the way back to the station, we're all having a lively debate about who was the most bad ass during this fire. It's stupid, and none of us really believe anyone is better than anyone else. We're a team. We win and lose as one, and every person is a hero every time. But, it's fun to harass each other.

"Hey, hey. I pulled a deaf girl through the fire and a collapsing wall to safety. I am definitely the most bad ass of ya'll." Jackson says matter-of-factly while reclining back against the equipment.

We all take a moment and look from one to another, each waiting for someone else to top that. I shrug and everybody laughs heartily as we acquiesce our victories to him. It's during this laughter that Arizona's sharp gasp cuts through the joy and assaults our ears a half a second before the truck lurches viciously to the left and tires squeal in protest. I vaguely register a young boy in the road picking up his stray ball right in front of where our truck was supposed to be a second ago. We all feel the rig wobble and twist in a way that it never should. My eyes widen as I realize what is about to happen. My gaze meets Arizona's through the mirror as the truck skids into the ditch on the side of the country road and flips violently several times. My last conscious thought is a flash of Arizona in a beautiful white gown and then everything goes black.

AN: Well? What did you think?


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hey, hey, check me out…it's been less than a few months for an update. Yay, me! Lol. So, here's the next part, I hope it floats your boat. Thanks again for reading!

My head hurts. That's all I can focus on as I fight to clear the cobwebs of sleep. I know I'm not a morning person, but this is ridiculous. I must have had a really good time at Joe's last night. My eyelids feel like lead and it takes some serious effort to crack them open. When a sliver of harsh light breaks through, I squeeze them shut again as my eyes and head scream in protest of the unwelcome stimuli. Damn, this is one vicious hangover. I try to roll over, but my body rejects that command and remains exactly where it is. It feels like something is sitting on me, but it doesn't really hurt. In fact, I can't really feel anything. That's new.

Finally, I decide that enough is enough and I'm going to open my eyes. Clenching my jaw, I brace myself for the onslaught of pain that I anticipate. As I manage to pry my eyes open again, I breathe through the agony as I try to process my surroundings. This is not my room. This isn't my bed, and Arizona is not next to me. Judging by the nondescript walls, monotone machines, and starchy sheets wrapping my body, I'd guess that I'm in a hospital. But, I have no idea why.

My eyes frantically drag across the room and discover the hunched, sleeping frame of my fiancée in an uncomfortable, faded chair. Only, she doesn't look a whole lot like my Arizona. Her hair is dull and tangled, her eyes dark with exhaustion, her skin lacks it's usual glow, and her position is vulnerable and weak. Confusion and concern swirl into a sickening tornado in my chest. What the hell is going on? It isn't until she shifts a bit, that I can see the jagged cut down the side of her face.

That's when it all comes screeching back in full force. The school fire. The drive back to the station. The boy in the road. A swerving and tumbling truck. We were in an accident. The rig flipped into a ditch. That's all I remember. Until now. Taking the first real inventory of the feelings in my body, I realize that there are some places that have a dull ache. I must have been injured in that crash.

The fog in my brain makes me a little slow on the uptake, so it takes me a moment to comprehend that Arizona should be hurt, too. I crane my neck to see as much of her as possible. She's in here and not in a hospital bed, so that's a good sign. A large, stitched cut glares from the left side of her face, her wrist is wrapped, and a cast encloses her left leg. But, other than that, I don't see any other obvious sign of injury. I sigh a breath of relief. The miniscule sound seems to be enough to rouse the sleeping beauty next to me.

Her eyes flutter open and she stiffly slides her body further up in the chair. Blurry, and darkened baby blue eyes drift to my face, widening when they register that I'm looking back at her. "Calliope," she gasps, immediately hoisting her aching body up and over to my side. "You're awake." Her voice is a scratchy whisper of reverence.

Trying to clear my throat, I succeed in croaking out, "Yeah…are you okay?"

Arizona scoffs mirthlessly as she runs her hand through my hair, "Honey, I'm fine. You're the one that's been unconscious for forty three hours…How are you?"

My brows furrow at her statement. Forty three hours? It feels like it just happened. She must have been going crazy. "I feel…I don't know really…I can't really feel much. What's, uh, what's the damage?"

Arizona sucks in a breath, clearly attempting to contain her tears, "You, um, you have a dislocated shoulder, three broken ribs, a concussion, and some semi-major lacerations. The concussion kept you out, and the, uh, doctors said that they didn't know when to expect you to wake up." She shudders and sniffs, gripping my hand in hers.

I nod as I take it in, "And, you?"

Arizona shrugs, "Uh, nothing too serious. Broken leg, slash on my face, fractured rib, bruising, well, everywhere, and a sprained wrist."

"So, you're ok?" I feel the need to double check.

"Yeah, babe, I'm fine. I swear." A tight squeeze to my hand reassures me enough to let it go for now.

Taking a deep breath, I start to notice more pain in my body, which finally yanks my mind into reality. My glassy eyes snap up to hers, "What about the guys?"

I see Arizona swallow hard and her eyes flash, then steel, creating a swell of dread within me. "Uh…besides the expected cuts and bruises for everybody, Alex has a broken collar bone and hit a nerve or something in his head that is reducing his vision quite a bit. They, um, they don't know exactly what to expect as far as his sight returning. And, Mark, he has some pretty severe internal injuries that they're still working to repair. He's still in the ICU…" I see her lip tremble then settle between her teeth, and her eyes drop to the pale, blue blanket covering me.

Tangling my fingers with hers in a vice grip, I force out a weak whisper, "And, Jackson?"

Keeping her eyes down, she shakes her head before muttering, "He, uh, he-he has a severe brain bleed. It's causing a lot of swelling…and, the doctors are not optimistic about his chances for recovery…" Her voice had started out shaky and emotional, but ended flat and uncaring, like she was trying to remove herself from the intense reality of the situation.

I squeeze my eyes shut, attempting to stifle the surge of pain and anger that rises up with this information. My entire crew is hurt. Not just hurt, but severely injured. Mark may not recover, Alex may never see correctly again, and Jackson may not ever wake up. I feel sick. When I open my eyes again, I lock my gaze with Arizona's. A deep sorrow and, something that looks like guilt, burns in her eyes. A second later, her eyes disengage and she begins to back up. "I'm glad you're awake…I need to, um…to go check on the others and update everyone. I-I'll be back." With a kiss to the palm of my hand, she all but bolts toward the door. At least, she bolts as fast as someone can with a casted leg.

Frowning, I call out to her, "Arizona…" When I see her pause near the door, I continue quietly, "This isn't your fault…"

With a quick and regretful glance back, Arizona stays silent and exits the room. "Shit." I mumble. She's feeling guilty about the accident, and I can't do anything about it while I'm stuck in this bed. Not cool.

When I see the door open about forty five minutes later, I raise myself up hoping to see Arizona. A doctor came in to check me out right after Arizona left, but since he left, I've been alone. I've been sitting here obsessing about my team, Arizona, the future, pretty much everything. I'm tired of being stuck in my own thoughts and worries, I need to talk to her. However, the blonde that walks in, is not my blonde. Well, not anymore. "Erica?"

She greets me with a small smile, "Hey, Callie. I heard that you woke up. It's about time." A nervous chuckle falls from her lips and I can't help but return a grin.

"You know how I feel about my sleep… How'd you know I was here?" I ask as she moves to sit in the, now, empty chair.

"I'm the lead on Sloan's case." She replies quietly, fidgeting with her fingers.

I nod solemnly, fighting back nausea, "How's he doing?"

Erica considers the question for a moment, "He's still unstable, but we're doing everything we can. I'm hopeful."

I take that as a positive, because she doesn't hope unless there's a good reason. "Thanks." Hesitating briefly, I ask, "Um, have you seen Arizona?"

Erica shakes her head and shrugs, "Not since last night." She studies me, "So…you two are still together?"

When I determine that there is no malice, resentment or anger behind her question, I smile gently, "Yeah, we are. We're actually engaged."

Erica smirks, "I figured you two had it in you. Congrats."

"Thanks." After a few moments, I decide to add amicably, "It's good to see you."

"Yeah, it's good to see you, too. I've kinda…missed you." When she sees my warning look, she holds up her hands, "I mean, you as a friend. We were really good friends before we became a couple. I miss that." I see her anxiously wring her hands, waiting for my response.

Admitting to myself that the feeling is mutual, I answer, "I miss that, too. Maybe we could, uh, hang out sometime."

Erica grins, "I'd like that."

Suddenly, the door to my room bursts open and a bored looking woman comes striding in, "Finally. I've been looking for you everywhere." She says flatly to Erica.

Erica rolls her eyes, "Well, you found me, Yang. What do you want?"

Before she can answer, I chirp, "Hey, Cristina."

Glancing at me, she responds, "Hi, Callie. Good to see you awake, that was a nasty crash you were in." Without pausing for my reply, she looks back to Erica, "Dr. Hahn, Mr. Welsh is finished with pre-op and we're set up in OR 3, just waiting on you."

"You could have paged me, Yang." Erica drawls with a glare.

"Yes, but I so enjoy the time we spend together that I prefer to tell you in person." Cristina deadpans, then spins around and exits the room. A second after I see her disappear, her head appears around the door frame, "Bye, Callie."

"Bye!" I call behind the woman that is already gone. "She's as charming as ever." I say lightly to the annoyed surgeon.

"Yep, she's a damn treat." Pushing herself up from the chair, she pats my arm, "Well, I'm glad to see you feeling better. But, I have to go, people to save and such."

"I get it. Thanks for stopping by." I say genuinely.

"Of course. I'll come by again, if you'd like." Erica offers with a slight air of caution.

"I'd like." I answer without hesitation.

"Well, ok, then."

When the door swings softly shut behind her, I let out a sigh. I'm exhausted. I just want to go home, get into my own bed and curl up with my perfect blonde-haired beauty. But, I desperately need to talk to her first. I need to make sure she's not beating herself up too badly. I understand that nothing I could say will completely halt the nagging guilt that is undoubtedly plaguing her, but I could help ease it a bit. Another hour and a half passes with no visitors outside of nurses checking my meds and bringing food. Eventually, the freshly distributed drugs slow my body to the point that I can do nothing but slip into a eerily silent sleep.

A familiar fog greets me as I feel myself inch toward consciousness. I'm never going to get used to these drugs. After battling my eyes to open and adjust, I find that, once again, the chair next to my bed is occupied. However, my visitor is not at all cute enough to be who I wanted to see. "Geez, boss, you look like crap."

Webber's eyes snap up to mine, widening in surprise. Recovering quickly, he replies, "Yeah, well, I felt the need to fit in with the rest of you. You all look like hell."

I chuckle at his blunt response that came with no hint of amusement. He's never been great with emotion. "Thanks for that. Every injured person needs to hear that they look awful. Boosts morale."

"I don't care what you need, Torres. You all were stupid enough to get in an accident that nearly killed all of you. I'm not here to baby you…Only you morons could go into a burning building and come out without a hair harmed on your head, but screw up driving back." His sharp words sting and I would love to snap back. But, I can see the pain in his eyes. The normally strong and sturdy Captain was shaken to his core by this and he's not sure how to deal with it.

"Hey…" I start softly, trying to coax him out of his emotional fortress. When he briefly glances up, I continue, "We're ok. As far as I know, we're all alive…" I trail off, realizing that I don't know how long I was asleep and what happened during that time. I see him nod curtly in affirmative, leading me to add, "It was scary, but we're going to be fine."

I see him take a deep breath, "When I got that call, I…" His words taper off as tears collect in his eyes. Before any of them can fall, he clears his throat and shakes his head. "I don't ever want to get a call like that again. Understand?"

A small grin spreads across my lips, "Understood, Sir." Several seconds pass before I ask, "Have you seen Arizona?"

He nods, "I sent her home for some real rest a few hours ago, she'll probably be back soon."

Furrowing my brows, I try to calculate the time frame, "How long have I been asleep?"

"Um, about eight hours or so. You're going to need a lot of rest." Dark brown eyes fix me with a serious stare, silently informing me that this is an order, an order that he will be enforcing personally, if needed.

"Yes, sir." I say, choosing not to fight him, right now. Before anything else can be said, the door opens gently and Arizona steps in.

Freezing when she sees Webber sitting with me, she quickly starts to back track and ramble, "Oh, Captain, I'm sorry. I'll let you guys talk. I have a few things I need to do…so, I'll just come back later-"

Webber instantly stands from the chair, "No, no, don't go. We're done here. You stay."

This seems to arrest Arizona to a spot near the door. She shifts uncomfortably while the Captain passes her, patting her arm on the way out. Once he's gone, Arizona gradually approaches my bed. I can tell something is wrong, but I'm not positive what it is, yet.

"Hey," I say softly, my lips curling into a warm smile. "I'm glad you're here, I've missed you."

Despite the lurking unease, she rewards me with an adoring grin, "The mean, old man made me go home. He said I needed sleep or something." Bracing her arms on the rail of my bed, she leans over, golden hair acting as a curtain around our faces as she brushes her lips across mine.

I hum contently against her mouth, a pleasant tingle sparking from the contact. When we part, an inch separating us, I whisper, "How dare he look out for your well being?"

She shrugs with a smirk, her dimples popping, "He's got some nerve. How are you feeling?" Pulling away enough to see my face, she tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. I watch her eyes and movements as she speaks, whatever I thought I saw when she first came in appears to be gone. Maybe I was projecting or imagining that something was off.

Taking her hand in mine, needing the constant connection, I answer, "Ok, I guess. I'm groggy and sore…but I'm confident I'll live." I say the last part with a melodramatic sigh, followed by a cocky grin.

And, in an instant, I know I wasn't imagining anything. Arizona's hand slips from mine and she takes several steps backward, "Well, that's good…I wish I could stay, but I have some things to take care of, and you need to rest."

"Wait, I can rest while you're here…" I proposition as I study my retreating fiancée.

"No, you need real rest. I'll check on you in a little bit." Blowing me a kiss, she flashes me a wide smile and makes her exit.

The light click of the latch seems to echo throughout the empty room. My eyes stay trained on the door, unfocused and pleading, as I wonder what hell is going on.

AN: So, when I started this story I mentioned that there were some unfortunate aspects of me planning this story before season 9 aired. This is where there will start to be some parallels with the show and the developing storyline. I'm trying to tweak things, where I can, to help separate it (in the original version, someone lost a leg…that obviously is not going to happen now). Anyway, let me know what you're thinking.


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